Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 602open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 17 December 2001
That this House recalls the former Conservative Prime Minister and Conservative Party Leader John Major 'unequivocally' assuring the House on the publication of the Auditor's provisional findings of gerrymandering in Westminster that 'if the reported allegations turn out to be true, of course I condemn such activities' (Hansard column 330, 13th January 1994) and 'I have already made it clear that if the allegations are confirmed, I will condemn unreservedly' (Hansard column 331, 13th January 1994); similarly recalls that the Right honourable Member for Chingford and Woodford Green to the House that the accused 'must be subject to the due process of law. If they are found guilty, they should be sanctioned accordingly' (Hansard column 849, 14th May 1996); notes that five law lords have delivered a unanimous judgement, finding Shirley Porter and David Weeks, former Conservative leaders of Westminster City Council guilty of 'political corruption' and 'deliberate, blatant and dishonest misuse of public power' at a cost to council tax payers of ú26.4 million; further notes the conclusion of Lord Scott of Foscote in the judgement that 'there is no further European Court of Human Rights point that can be taken' and that the judicial process is now at an end; and calls upon the right honourable Member for Chingford and Woodford Green to honour his and his predecessor's pledges.
Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 600open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 17 December 2001
That this House recalls the repeated undertakings made to the House by the Right honourable Member for Suffolk Coastal when Secretary of State for the Environment that were the allegations about the Conservatives' gerrymandering of Westminster to be upheld in the courts, he would condemn the perpetrators; specifically recalls his pledge 'in the end if any of the allegations are found to be true, I will, as I have said unreservedly and without distinction between political parties, condemn them' (Hansard columns 349-350, 13th January 1994), an undertaking he repeated at columns 352 and 359 on the same date and at columns 367, 369 on 9th May 1996 and at columns 785 and 863 on 14th May 1996; notes that the unanimous verdict of the Law Lords on 13th December has now proved the case in question beyond reverse; and calls upon the Right honourable Member for Suffolk Coastal to keep his word and deposit a copy of his condemnation of the wrongs done in his party's name in the Library.
Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 115open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 14 December 2000
That this House welcomes in principle the European Commission's Everything But Arms initiative to give the least developed countries quota and duty-free access to the EU market; but expresses its concern that if implemented without proper safeguards, Everything But Arms could put at unnecessary risk many of the 23,000 jobs dependent on the UK sugar industry and undermine the developing economies of many of the African, Caribbean and Pacific sugar-producing countries without certain benefits for the least developed countries; and calls on the Government to work with its European partners to consider the introduction of Everything But Arms as far as sugar is concerned as part of the overall review of the EU Sugar Regime in order to maximise its benefits and minimise its risks.
Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 1034open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 26 July 2000
That this House notes that, according to Standing Orders, procedures for the election of the new Speaker could preclude all but two of the honourable Members who may have declared their candidature from offering themselves to honourable Members for election; calls on the Procedure Committee to bring forward amendments to Standing Orders to provide for democratic elections in which each honourable Member may cast a vote for his or her chosen candidate; and further calls on the candidates to issue personal manifestos so that honourable Members may make informed choices based on the candidates' stated commitment to the rights of backbenchers and the modernisation of the House.
Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 817open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 8 June 2000
That this House notes that according to the Fees Office, 182 honourable and Right honourable Members of all parties overspent their office costs allowance in the last financial year by an average of ú2,500, and that the majority will have been obliged to make up the deficit by contributing to their staff salaries and other administrative costs from their own pockets; notes that honourable and Right honourable Members accrue no personal benefit from the OCA; further notes that the current level of the allowance compares unfavourably with those available to members of many overseas legislatures, including those of the USA, Australia, Canada, France and Germany; believes that honourable and Right honourable Members should be adequately supported in providing to their constituents the efficient and high quality service to which they are entitled, while offering reasonable rates of pay to their staff; recognises that even greater strain will be placed on the OCA as honourable and Right honourable Members seek to improve their and their staff's personal security following the appalling attack on the honourable Member for Cheltenham and his assistant earlier this year; and calls on the House authorities to ensure as a matter of urgency that the OCA is reviewed and uprated to meet the reasonable administrative costs of honourable and Right honourable Members.
Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 315open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 24 January 2000
That this House deplores the persistent and studied insults to the Irish people which were an objectionable feature of the contributions of the honourable Members for Penrith and the Border, Bromley and Chislehurst, and Spelthorne to the debate on the Representation of the People Bill on 19th January; notes in particular the reference of the Right honourable Member for Bromley and Chislehurst to aliens coming from a strange foreign country, such as the Republic of Ireland; believes that there is no place for such inflammatory prejudice in the House's debates and that their behaviour discredits both the Members concerned and the Conservative Party; calls on them to apologise for the gratuitous offence which they have caused; and reaffirms its respect and friendship for a community which has contributed so much to the UK's cultural and economic life and which continues to do so.